adversarial

adjective

ˌad-vər-ˈser-ē-əl How to pronounce adversarial (audio)
Definition of adversarialnext
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adversarial The workshop’s facilitators posed a series of hypothetical adversarial actions, or vignettes, to the participants. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026 However, proximity matters little if an enterprise is fractured internally by the adversarial divide between Business and IT. — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Several parties in the fragmented Spanish legislature would not back Feijóo, especially the separatist factions which have had a deeply adversarial relationship with the PP. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 June 2026 Conversations become collaborative rather than adversarial. — Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversarial
  1. hostile
  2. negative
Adjective
  • And until a Black commentator is held responsible for making openly hostile remarks about White people, nothing will change.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • For example, in March, the crypto exchange Kraken put its multibillion‑dollar IPO on hold amid hostile market conditions, according to CoinDesk.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • The powder, sourced from California Dairies and supplied by a third party, tested negative for salmonella before the company used it in the chips.
    — Sarah Jacoby, NBC news, 2 July 2026
  • Apple, for instance, dropped 5% on April 8, its fourth-straight negative day.
    — Alex Harring,Luke Fountain, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of negative

Browse Nearby Words

ad verbum
adversarial
adversaries
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Cite this Entry

“Adversarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversarial. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on adversarial

Nglish: Translation of adversarial for Spanish Speakers

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